LLG funds murder investigation at PNG-Indonesia border

THE Morehead local level government is funding a police operation to investigate five outstanding murder cases in villages along the PNG-Indonesian border in Western province, station manager Maninanzang Gantau said yesterday. “We have provided K15,200 for Daru-based detectives to investigate these cases that have been outstanding since March 2016 and the latest murder case was reported in July this year,” Gantau toldsaid. “We want police to investigate, we don’t want people to take the law into their hands to take revenge.” Gantau said the cases were related to sorcery and drugs. “We had the first killing at Kiriwo village in March 2016, Kwaiwang in September 2016 then a death in Bula village in November, Rouku village in February this year and MoreHead in July.” Gantau said detectives were scheduled to travel to Morehead next week for 10 days. “They will round up all the suspects and take them back to Daru,” Gantau said. Meanwhile, he said the 110km road from Arufi to Wean border station was scheduled to be upgraded. “The Indonesian government has promised to provide funding for the upgrading of the road,” he said. “The planning officers from South Fly will leave for Arufi after the independence anniversary.”